Cut the ostrich feathers to the desired size, usually around 7", and whipstitch them to the feather pad wrong side where the pad comes to a point.

Pinch together the netting corners, and then whipstitch the netting to the feather pad right side, where the pad comes to a point.

Place the embellishment on the feather pad right side where desired. Glue to secure.

Whipstitch the barrette in place on the felt wrong-side center.

Place the felt over the feather pad wrong side; glue to secure.

Planning a Fashion Show

Fashion shows aren't easy. They can be costly and take a lot of work to produce. I have produced five fashion shows with no prior experience in event planning. Plan a small, cost-effective show by following these steps:

1) Mission: Why are you doing the show? Who will it benefit? Will it feature just you or other designers as well?

2) Theme: I like to have a theme to keep the show cohesive. Come up with a story for your show and everything will fall into place.

3) Designers: I like to also showcase other designers in my shows.

4) Budget: Come up with an amount that you would like to spend and stick to it. To get a feel for how much the event will cost, price venues, food, drinks, staff, lighting, sound, staging, music, models, marketing material, graphic designer, flowers and anything else you would like to have at your show.

5) Sponsors: Once you have a budget, approach sponsors. This could be tricky if you don't have any experience with event planning. I do a lot of cross promotion to get donations. Sponsors are more likely to donate if you have something to give them in return. If it's benefitting a nonprofit, get a letter of support from the nonprofit with the 501C3# so sponsors can write it off as a deduction. I tend to approach new companies because it could be seen as advertising if they can promote their business. Approach sponsors that are trying to reach a similar demographic so they get the most value out of donating. I usually write up a proposal for sponsors outlining all the details about the event and what you will offer them for participating.

6) Media: Once you have the necessary elements, promote the show. Below are all the elements that I need to produce a professional fashion show.

Venue

Lighting and sound

Staging and equipment

Liquor

Models

Marketing material (flyers, posters)

Décor, food (if the budget allows)

Photographers, videographers

For my first show, I paid for advertising. I don't recommend this, as it takes a lot out of your budget that could be used elsewhere. Create a press release and make your event sound enticing to attend. Send your press release to magazines, newspapers and bloggers and tell them you will give them a free ticket if they cover your event in return. If your event is worth attending, most people would love to cover it. I also recommend having a blog or Facebook page for your show, so you can develop a fan base.

7) Releases and forms: The more organized and professional you come across, the more people you will get to work with you. If you're showcasing other designers at the show, create an application for them to fill out that includes what you expect of them and all the details about the show. Create a release form for models, photographers, videographers and designers to fill out so you have full rights to any media exposure.

8) Models: Get models in two ways: host a model call or go through a model agency. Model agencies can be a good way to go, since they do all the work for you in finding the right model, organizing fittings, and if a model drops out, they will replace them.

For more information or to apply to intern for one of Fallene's events, contact her at Fallene.net.